Are You Wondering When You Will Start to Sleep Better Again?

One of the first questions my clients ask me is when they will start sleeping better again. Of course, everyone with insomnia wonders about this. You want to sleep better now and have had more trouble sleeping than you would ever like.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to just snap the fingers and…poof…you no longer have insomnia? If only!

Unfortunately, it does take time to teach your brain that you are safe and to let go of the fight or flight system. It’s impossible to really know how long it will take each person because it depends on how long someone has struggled with insomnia, how long it takes for someone to learn to let go of trying to control sleep, and individual differences between each brain.

Usually, the longer you have insomnia, the longer it will take. It could take a month, or it could take 6-months. The good news is that you will start experiencing more and more sleep along the way. 

I know it sucks not knowing how long it will take. We like knowing how long to expect. It gives us a sense of control. Trying desperately to figure out how long it will take won’t speed things up; it can actually slow things down.

Here’s the thing, insomnia is fueled by attention. The more attention, focus, and desperation we put on our insomnia, the stronger it gets. All this attention leads to more problem-solving and continually attempting to control and make sleep happen, which isn’t possible.

The more you can let go of trying to fight your insomnia and attempts to control your sleep, the closer you will move toward sleeping more. The more you accept that you can’t sleep right now and allow your journey to overcome insomnia to happen in the time frame your brain needs, the closer you will be to overcoming insomnia.